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A review by misha_ali
The Marriage Act by John Marrs
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I find I enjoy a lot of John Marrs' books. They're a bit absurdist in that the premise is unlikely to actually come to pass, as opposed to some dystopian premises that are clearly a step or two away from our current reality, but they're really fun and examined from several different angles.
This book is about legislation that governs marriages (lower taxes, prices on things, faster access to public services, etc. if you are part of a "Smart Marriage" as opposed to the old kind) with the caveat that the government installs devices that record ten minutes random of your discussion during the day with your spouse to make sure your marriage is "on track". If not, you're assigned mandatory reminders and tips to improve the marriage and a relationship counsellor if things don't improve with a final review by the courts that could mandate a divorce irrespective of the wishes of the people married.
Initially, I found the multiple point-of-view chapters a bit hard to follow because there is so much variety but this quickly evens out with a few reveals and things swiftly escalate towards conclusions for each of the storylines. I appreciate the rich diversity of people we follow, from a retired fireman dealing with a spouse with dementia but reluctant to let her be taken away as per the dictates of the Smart Marriage, a woman secretly working with the group opposed to Smart Marriage and trying to leave her Smart Marriage, a Smart Marriage therapist, a social media obsessed woman who takes on a controversial stance just to gain followers, and others. I appreciate when dystopian stories have that kind of coverage and have different people at various levels with their own agendas.
I don't know if I can say much about this without spoiling the plot but I enjoyed the ride and the conclusion was quite satisfying.
This book is about legislation that governs marriages (lower taxes, prices on things, faster access to public services, etc. if you are part of a "Smart Marriage" as opposed to the old kind) with the caveat that the government installs devices that record ten minutes random of your discussion during the day with your spouse to make sure your marriage is "on track". If not, you're assigned mandatory reminders and tips to improve the marriage and a relationship counsellor if things don't improve with a final review by the courts that could mandate a divorce irrespective of the wishes of the people married.
Initially, I found the multiple point-of-view chapters a bit hard to follow because there is so much variety but this quickly evens out with a few reveals and things swiftly escalate towards conclusions for each of the storylines. I appreciate the rich diversity of people we follow, from a retired fireman dealing with a spouse with dementia but reluctant to let her be taken away as per the dictates of the Smart Marriage, a woman secretly working with the group opposed to Smart Marriage and trying to leave her Smart Marriage, a Smart Marriage therapist, a social media obsessed woman who takes on a controversial stance just to gain followers, and others. I appreciate when dystopian stories have that kind of coverage and have different people at various levels with their own agendas.
I don't know if I can say much about this without spoiling the plot but I enjoyed the ride and the conclusion was quite satisfying.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide